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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29359209">She's not alone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/siemprefangirling_nuncaunfangirling/pseuds/siemprefangirling_nuncaunfangirling'>siemprefangirling_nuncaunfangirling</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wilds (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Homophobia, Running Away, The Unsinkable Eight (The Wilds), to the rescue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:08:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29359209</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/siemprefangirling_nuncaunfangirling/pseuds/siemprefangirling_nuncaunfangirling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shelby had always feared being alone, as her father had anticipated her if she ever was to be homosexual... But the unsinkable eight can't let him think that he was right... Unsinkable eight to the rescue!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dot Campbell/Fatin Jadmani, Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>She's not alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The fear was clear in Shelby's eyes when the army pilot told her and Dot that the helicopter was ready to leave from the heliport of Lima. She looked Toni in the eyes and the brunette squeezed her hand - "Are you sure you wanna go?"</p><p>Martha put her hand on Shelby's right shoulder - "You can crash at mine with Toni, mom and dad would never disagree with it."</p><p>Shelby shook her head and gulped - "I need to go back home. I need to come clean about myself. I owe that to myself. And to Becca".</p><p>Fatin squeezed Shelby's other hand - "Ehi, you know you have a spare bed in LA in you ever need it, right?"</p><p>"Shouldn't you ask your live-in mussel first, you bitch?" - Dot butted in.</p><p>"You'd be too tired to protest, trust me, Dottie."</p><p>Shelby chuckled and dried some of the tears she had started feeling on her cheeks - "Thanks, girls, I love you. I'll miss you."</p><p>Everyone regrouped around the blonde girl and hugged her - "Whenever you need rescue, just say it." - Rachel said.</p><p>"It could be difficult, my dad will probably keep me under strict control."</p><p>"We could use a code sentence during our zoom calls..." - Leah proposed.</p><p>"What sentence could it be?" - asked Nora.</p><p>"Mhhh I don't know, you're the expert in covert operations." - answered drily Leah.</p><p>The air began to get thicker with tension and Shelby didn't want this to be the last image she remembered with her new-found family - "Please, girls..."</p><p>Toni cleared her voice - "I have an idea. If necessary, just say <em>I hope I meet him again.</em>"</p><p>"Him?"</p><p>"Tony, the handsome flight-assistant that charmed you at first sight." - the brunette wiggled her eyebrows.</p><p>Shelby burst out laughing - "How cocky of Tony to suppose something like that!"</p><p>"Isn't he right?"</p><p>"Absolutely not..." - Shelby stroked Toni's cheek, laughing at her grimace - "I felt for you at first fight."</p><p>The girls all laughed and broke the embrace to leave the two girls in their own private bubble.</p><p>The pilot called them again, clearing his throat - "I'm sorry misses, we have to go."</p><p>"Ok boss." - Dot mocked the salute, turning around to speak with Fatin - "I'll see you soon, just let me pick something in Texas."</p><p>Fatin hugged her - "Don't worry, take your time. I'll keep our bed warm for you."</p><p>Dot blushed and left her arms - "Well, you know that I'm still not into girls, right?"</p><p>"Just give me time, cargo pants."</p><p>"See you in LA, Lady in the Leopard."</p><p>"Goodbye, Dorothy."</p><p>In the meantime, Shelby was starting to cry again - "I'll miss you, Toni."</p><p>"Hey, it won't be for long. I'll see you in no time." - she said, trying to stifle her own tears - "If you need it, just say the words. I'll come running if necessary. I love you."</p><p>"I love you too." - Shelby said, kissing the brunette one last time, expressing all her feelings.</p><p>"Come on, you lovebirds." - they were cut off by Fatin, who held her brand new iPhone up to take a selfie - "Smiiiile!"</p><p>The two girls stopped kissing and looked at the camera, Toni squeezing Shelby's hand.</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>One week later, Shelby decided to finally come out to her family. She couldn't live anymore with the fake smiles, her father's conversion sessions, with her perfect image of pageant queen. She hoped never to use it, but she had prepared a bag with some of her clothes and had hidden it in the closet (how ironic) and in the zoom call she had with the girls two days before, she had used a code to tell them that maybe she would need some rescue. All of them had nodded when she had said - "I think I'll ask my parents if they'd let me come to LA to visit you, Fatin."</p><p>Toni had been the first to ask - "When?"</p><p>"Sunday, at dinner."</p><p>Dot smiled - "Let me know what they answer, I could swing by and we could go together."</p><p>And Sunday evening had come, Shelby a nervous wreck, just playing with her food.</p><p>"Shelby, darling, stop playing with the food, it's a sin."</p><p>She couldn't anymore with it - "Mom, dad... I need to talk with you."</p><p>"What is that about, Shelby?" - her dad asked, his eyes already menacing.</p><p>"I can't hide it anymore."</p><p>"What is that, honey?" - her mother asked, gulping loudly, feeling the presence of her husband getting darker and darker.</p><p>"I am a homosexual."</p><p>The air froze around the table, but David Goodkind didn't say a word, keeping eating.</p><p>"Dad... Dad please listen to me. Look at me."</p><p>"Shelby you can't say those things while we're eating, in front of God's grace. Just eat your food. Then you'll go prepare your bags. I'm taking you to a Christian Youth Camp, and this time I'll take you there personally."</p><p>"Dad..."</p><p>Everyone jumped on their seats when Dave Goodkind slammed his fist on the table, a kind of rage never seen in his features, contorted in hatred and disgust - "I said eat, Shelby!"</p><p>Shelby started to cry and got up - "I'm not hungry."</p><p>Having said that, she went rapidly to her room and texted the girls on the chat group - "SOS. Dad is going to take me to the conversion camp. He's probably gonna take my mobile away."</p><p>Then she canceled the message, knowing well that her father could come anytime to check it. He indeed came five minutes later, his face calm as nothing had happened - "Darlin', the Christian Youth Camp is run by a friend of mine, she's really happy to have you already by tomorrow. So prepare your bags, this is gonna be awesome. We'll leave first hour tomorrow. Do you hear me?"</p><p>Shelby sobbed - "Yes dad."</p><p>He approached and leaned on her to kiss her forehead, but she recoiled and he sighed - "I'm doin' this just for your well-being, Shelby. You'll come to understand it one day. Now give me your phone, c'mon."</p><p>She accomplished and he smiled, triumphant - "Good girl. See you tomorrow."</p><p>Shelby didn't answer, she just kept on sobbing, lying on the bed and crying until there were no tears left.</p><p> </p><p>----</p><p> </p><p>It was nearly 2 am when she heard something repeatedly hitting her window, startling her and lighting her alive. Shelby approached the window and opened it, finding Dot in her courtyard - "Fucking finally, girl!" - whispered the brunette out loud, waving a rope - "You think you can climb down the window?"</p><p>"Oh my God, Dot, I thought I would never see you again!"</p><p>"Your father can suck my ass if he thinks he will take you to a Conversion Camp, Goodking. Now c'mon, move that pageant queen ass, and let's hit the road."</p><p>Dot threw the rope and Shelby tied one end to the handle of the window, tugging with all of her strength to be sure it didn't untie under her weight. Then she took the hidden bag and threw it at her friend, who catched it and left it on the ground in order to approach the rope and be there ready to help Shelby if something went wrong.</p><p>Luckily, everything went smooth and Shelby could finally hug Dot - "Oh my God, I've never been so happy to see someone, Dottie. I've missed you."</p><p>Dot smiled and patted Shelby's back - "Me too, Britney. Now we have to go, they could have heard. Enter the car."</p><p>Then, the brunette went to the front door and slid something under it, running to join Shelby in the car.</p><p>"Dot what the fuck?!"</p><p>But the brunette was too focused in calling Fatin while starting the engine faster than light - "Fatin, I'm with her."</p><p>Shelby could hear her excited scream - "Fuck, we were dying of anxiety here!"</p><p>Dot furrowed her eyebrows - "We?"</p><p>Shelby heard the struggle on the other side of the line and the voice that spoke later made her heart skip a beat - "Dottie let me speak with Shelb!"</p><p>"Geez, hi Toni." - she said, handing the mobile to Shelby and accelerating more when they reached the highway, direction Los Angeles.</p><p>"Toni."</p><p>"Fucking finally, I was so scared, Shelb."</p><p>The dam broke and Shelby started sobbing once again - "I thought that I would really end in that Camp."</p><p>"Not a chance, there's no way in Hell I'd let something happen to you, Shelb."</p><p>The blonde dried unceremoniously her nose with the sleeve of her sweater - "What are you doing in Los Angeles?"</p><p>"I booked the flight the moment you wrote you would come out to your parents."</p><p>"You knew all along this would happen, didn't you?" - Shelby asked, smiling sadly.</p><p>She heard a sigh - "Shelby, I'm sorry to tell you so, but people like that don't change their mind so easily... I know I'm talking about your parents, but I can't bear to see you unhappy because of them..."</p><p>"No... you're right. Don't be sorry. I just can't wait to see you." - she heard Dot scoffing and rolling her eyes - "All of the girls really."</p><p>"Tell Dot not to be a pain in my ass, if my girlfriend says she's missed me the most, she shuts up."</p><p>Shelby heard Fatin laughing - "Oh my God, can you be more of a cheeseball, Shalifoe?"</p><p>The brunette honest-to-God groaned - "I should probably help Fatin to set our bedroom for tomorrow."</p><p>"Our bedroom?"</p><p>"King-sized bedroom and on the third floor, completely isolated from the rest of the house, you filthy whores. I won't stand another minute of your sexual tension!" - Fatin screamed to be heard.</p><p>"Just shut up!" - Toni shook her head - "Like we didn't know you did it so you can fuck Dot without interruption."</p><p>"It could be, Shalifoe. My house, my live-in mussel, my rules."</p><p>Shelby laughed for the first time in that long day, looking at Dot blushing hard in the darkness of the night - "I can't wait to be there, girls."</p><p>"We can't wait for you to arrive, Goodkind." - said Fatin, no shade of joke in her voice.</p><p>"I love you, Shelb."</p><p>"I love you, Toni."</p><p>They hung up and Shelby sighed content, enjoying for a while the silent company of Dot. Then, she remembered what she had done before leaving and turned her face to her - "What have you slid under my front door?"</p><p>Dot laughed and winked at her - "Just our printed selfie in the airport, with a nice middle finger drawn on the back that says <em>She's not alone</em>".</p><p>Shelby's eyes teared once again, this time with happiness, and she squeezed Dot's thigh - "Thanks Dottie. Please, whenever you feel tired tell me, so that I can take your place driving."</p><p>"Sure thing, Britney. And, for the record, you have nothing to thank me for. You're family."</p><p>Dot was right. Shelby was not alone. Not anymore.</p>
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